Why should you visit Tallinn at the end of November, at the darkest time of the year when there's only six hours of light? Because that's when filmmakers and fans from around the world gather for the Black Nights Film Festival aka PÖFF and make Tallinn one of the most vibrant and 'coolest' places to be.

PÖFF is one of the largest film festivals in Northern Europe, attracting an attendance of 80 000 and over 1200 film professionals, journalists and fans from all over the world. It is a cinephile's dream, screening an extensive and diverse selection of world cinema at various locations in Tallinn and Tartu. The colorful events programme turns cinemas, bars, restaurants and nightclubs into buzzing celebrations of culture and entertainment.

The 2018 programme of PÖFF includes:

• Official selection - 19 exciting world or international premieres from all over the world, directed by established auteurs of world cinema, competing for the grand prize of the festival.
• First Feature Competition – 13 world or international premieres by talented debuting filmmakers who's next film you will be dying to see, competing to become the best debutant of Black Nights.
• Baltic Film Competition – showcasing and selecting the best of last year’s films made in the three Baltic states - Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
• Rebels with a Cause – a selection of fresh avantgarde and experimental cinema with the audience acting as the jury.

The festival also screens several non-competitive programmes, including special focuses, sections for documentaries, sports, fashion and genre films and highlights from other film festivals around the world.

• Midnight Shivers – a feast for all horror, fantasy and sci-fi buffs.
• Doc@PÖFF – exploring the hot topics of the world via this year's finest documentaries.
• Fashion Cinema – all the latest gossip and the inspiration from the world's catwalks and streets.
• Focus: 100 years of Freedom - introducing slices of the cinematic history of 13 countries that are celebrating their 100th birthday this year.
• Focus: Ingmar Bergman 100 - we will be exploring the legendary Swedish director and his films that had connections with Estonia that are not very well known of.

And much more.

The films of 2018 will be announced in various stages during the months before the festival. 

Exploring the variety of film

The two independent sub-festivals which all take place during the main festival, explore the many faces of cinema, adding around 400 short films, animations, as well as youth and children's cinema to the mix.

PÖFF SHORTS (20– 28 November) explores the short formats of cinema, presenting around 300 short films and animations from all over the world, in various competition programmes and special screenings.

Don't miss out on:

• Cine-concerts, exhibitions, lectures.
• Lively festival parties and pop-up screenings in surprising locations
• Live action and animation competition programmes and special retrospectives

As a reflection of PÖFF itself, the Children's and Youth Film Festival Just Film (16 November – 2 December) offers almost exactly the same, only to younger audiences.

As one of the biggest of its kind in Northern Europe, Just Film has it all:

• An international youth competition programme with a youth and children's jury picking their favourite films;
• Child rights' programme with a notable education sidebar;
• An exciting and extensive documentary showcase that ranges from extreme sports to science;
• dance shows, film workshops and much more.

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